The Doll Squad

The Doll Squad

Original film poster
Directed by Ted V. Mikels
Produced by Ted V. Mikels
Paul Burkett
Screenplay by Jack Richesin
Pam Eddy
Ted V. Mikels
Starring Michael Ansara
Francine York
Anthony Eisley
John Carter
Tura Satana
Music by Nicholas Carras
Cinematography Anthony Salinas
Edited by Ted V. Mikels
Distributed by Feature-Faire Productions
Release date
  • September 19, 1973 (1973-09-19)
Running time
 101 minutes
Country United States
Language English

The Doll Squad is a 1973 low-budget action film Z movie by Feature-Faire that was later re-released under the title Seduce and Destroy.[1] Directed, edited, co-written and co-produced by Ted V. Mikels, it features Francine York, Michael Ansara, John Carter, Anthony Eisley, Leigh Christian and Tura Satana.[2][3] Mikels claimed he filmed it for a total cost of $256,000.

Plot

CIA operative Connolly (Eisley) assigns Sabrina (York), the leader of a group of five shapely female operatives individually selected by a computer. Code named the Doll Squad, they thwart the efforts of a madman who formerly worked alongside Sabrina as a fellow CIA agent who has become an entrepreneur to overthrow world governments. His plan is to release rats infected with bubonic plague.[4]

Cast

Production

Time Inc. contributor Ed White notes that the visuals for the action sequences near the end of the film are unusually dark. This part of the film was shot in a single night. The multiple machine guns used by the actresses in this sequence was really a single weapon that was on temporarily loan to the director.[5]

Reception

DVD reviewer and Rolling Stone contributor Doug Pratt called it "an enjoyable action romp". He adds, "the girls kick some serious butt and they look terrific in their hot black jumpsuits. Who can resist?"[6] Film critic Michael Adams said the film is "so slow in parts I think it should be called The Dull Squad", but "it picks up at the end". He rated it a solid 37/100.[7] Nonetheless, it has become something of a cult film for fans of actress Francine York.[8]

Influence

This film may have been the inspiration for the Charlie's Angels television series.[4] Aaron Spelling, who later produced the television series, and at the time was executive producer of Mod Squad, was invited to the premiere of this movie,[9] and the lead member of the squad was named Sabrina, just as in Charlie's Angels.[8] Quentin Tarantino has cited the film as an influence on his Deadly Viper Assassination Squad in his film Kill Bill.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Tucker, Ed (2004), "The Ted V. Mikels Interview", Crazed Fanboy Presents..., retrieved 2011-10-22
  2. ↑ "The Doll Squad (1973)". The New York Times. Beldin. Retrieved 2011-03-09. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ↑ Staff (2004). The Scarecrow Movie Guide. Seattle: Sasquatch Books. p. 385. ISBN 1-57061-415-6.
  4. 1 2 Lisanti, Tom; Paul, Louis (2002). Film fatales: women in espionage films and television, 1962-1973. McFarland. p. 316. ISBN 0-7864-1194-5.
  5. ↑ White, Ed (November 10, 2000), Astro Zombies and Corpse Grinders, Time Inc., retrieved 2011-08-23
  6. ↑ Pratt, Douglas (2004), Doug Pratt's DVD: Movies, Television, Music, Art, Adult, and More!, 1, UNET 2 Corporation, pp. 350–351, ISBN 1-932916-00-8
  7. ↑ Adams, Michael (2010). Showgirls, Teen Wolves, and Astro Zombies: A Film Critic's Year-Long Quest to Find the Worst Movie Ever Made. HarperCollins. p. 236. ISBN 0-06-180629-3.
  8. 1 2 Lisanti, Tom (2001). Fantasy femmes of sixties cinema: interviews with 20 actresses from biker, beach, and Elvis movies. McFarland. p. 103. ISBN 0-7864-0868-5.
  9. ↑ Paul, Louis (2007). Tales from the cult film trenches: interviews with 36 actors from horror, science fiction and exploitation cinema. McFarland. p. 203. ISBN 0-7864-2994-1.
  10. ↑ Machiyama, Tomohiro (August 28, 2003), "Quentin Tarantino reveals almost everything that inspired Kill Bill in... The Japattack Interview", Film, The Jap Attack, retrieved 2011-10-22
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